Friendship Lasts Forever
by Clara
Summary: An Aeris and Tifa friendship fic.. included with it a rant ^^; My views on the whole Cloud/Aeris and Cloud/Tifa rivalry thing.


I am going to rant. Why am I going to rant? Because I need to, or else I am going to be a very unpleasant person to be around. Don't worry, I'm gunna add a fic here.. a probably not so happy fic.  
  
Now. My rant.  
  
Have you ever seen something that goes like.. "AERITH SUCKS! TIFA-4-EVA!" or something that resembles that ever so slightly?  
  
I know I have.  
  
I happen to read reviews. Not just for my fics, but for other people's fics.  
  
More than once, I have found people insulting Tifa.. just because they're an Aerith fan. Or vice versa.  
  
And I am plain sick of it.  
  
It's pathetic, really. I have a quote here..  
  
"You two are obviously Tifa fans...because only Tifa fans stoop that low, just like Tifa does!"  
  
I ask you.. where in the game does Tifa stoop "low"? As I recall.. she wasn't exactly thrilled that Aeris died. She also stayed by Cloud's side the whole time when he was.. well, not "himself".  
  
Or how about:  
  
"Tifa sucks! Aeris and Cloud are the ultimate couple!"  
  
I really hate to break it to you, friends, but there's a slight dilemma. Aerith happens to be.. ah.. dead.  
  
Now, Aerith fans.. don't leave just yet. I'm not done ranting. I have something for you guys, too.  
  
Aerith fans aren't the only ones who bash Tifa/Cloud fics. There are a number of Tifa fans who tend to bash Aerith.. I just can't find very good ones right now. If you've seen any, kindly give them to me so I can add them to this.  
  
I must say, I am disgusted. Fanfics are made for the enjoyment of everyone.. not just for people who prefer a certain couple. What I'm trying to get at is.. Please don't flame a fic because of a certain pairing. If you choose to flame a fic, flame it because it's not well written or degrading to a certain person.  
  
Wondering what couple I prefer? You shouldn't. I prefer Tifa/Cloud coupling for one main reason: Aerith revival fics are very outdone, and I'm not going to stoop so low as to revive her just to write her with Cloud. Now, if Aerith was still alive, I wouldn't be so touchy on writing a fic with Cloud/Aerith coupling.  
  
I personally think Tifa and Aerith can do better than Cloud. ^^;  
  
I'm not saying that every fan is rude like my previous examples. I've seen reviews of people praising a certain couple fic when they're for the other couple. However, this rant was for the people who rudely comment about couples.  
  
Now, as I promised, here's a fic.  
  
~*~  
  
Friendship Lasts Forever  
by Clara  
  
  
February 7th  
  
Tifa was positively ecstatic.  
  
After this hair raising.. adventure was over, she had finally gotten the chance to relax.  
  
And what had she done the right when she got this moment of relaxation?  
  
She decided to sweep the porch of the new 7th Heaven.  
  
Sound silly? It probably was. Sweeping something in the middle of the slums probably wasn't the best idea, being that it would most likely get dirty again.  
  
But that was the only excuse she could think of so that she could look at the stars. Regrettably, it wasn't a really good one.  
  
Aerith.  
  
The name always came to her whenever she had a moment alone.. the moment her mind was cleared from the clutter that usually inhabited it. Clutter like "who's going to watch 7th Heaven while I go to the restroom? What if someone decides to steal all my money when I'm gone?"  
  
But back to the main subject.  
  
Perhaps everyone had been viewing it wrong. Perhaps Tifa missed Aerith more than anyone in the group of misfits.  
  
But that was silly, right? After all, Cloud and Aerith had had a "thing" before she was.. before she.. So of course Cloud would miss her more!  
  
But it was wrong.  
  
All wrong.  
  
The anguish, the agony, the pain Tifa felt when she saw that damn sword slice through the pretty Cetra's body.. indescribable. Even more.. unbeatable.  
  
Tifa felt bonded to Aerith.  
  
A type of kinminship. Best friends, you could say.   
  
Although both of them shared an attraction to the blond haired hero, and that spouted a type of rivalry between the two, when Tifa first met Aerith, they became best friends before anyone could blink. Perhaps it wasn't very noticeable, since all the stories buzzing around were mainly about a tragic love triangle and how that now one of the suitors were dead, the other suitor should have no problem getting her catch.  
  
What a load of bull.  
  
"Aerith," the brunette barmaid whispered into the chilly air, her warm breath clouding from her lips. "Oh Aerith, I wish to God you were still here. Life just isn't the same, you know?" A tear slipped from her eye, and she let out a watery chuckle. "I'd even let you have Cloud if I had a chance just to talk to you again.. to laugh again.. to have the best friend I could never have when I was a child. I miss you, Aerith.. perhaps more than anyone else in this horrid universe does." She paused, the tear that had been slowly rolling down her cheek falling from her jaw. "We all miss you, Aerith.. and we all love you."  
  
She paused from her sweeping to stare forlornly at the starry sky, her lips set in a grim line.  
  
"Happy birthday, Aerith."  
  
*  
  
Somewhere in Heaven, a beautiful, green eyed angel smiled.  
  
"I miss you too, Tifa."  
  
-end  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Sap, much? ^^;  
  



End file.
